Aston Martin might celebrate their 100th birthday with a victory at Le Mans. With the recruitment of Bruno Senna, the British company clearly wants to maximise their chances against Porsche, Ferrari, Corvette and Viper.

At the end of 2011, following the end of their LM P1 programme, David Richards decided to concentrate the efforts of Aston Martin on the GT class which they won in 2007 and 2008. After an encouraging season, including a podium at Le Mans and a victory at Shanghai (WEC), British firm seeks a clear victory in the Sarthe and the Championship title FIA World Endurance 2013. It is in this context that two widely advanced V8 Vantage will be aligned in GTE Pro, while both models * 2012 version will be engaged in GTE Am

Yesterday, the British team had a surprise in store for the launch event held at the company headquarters in Gaydon (United Kingdom) with the signing of Bruno Senna. After three seasons of Formula 1 (Hispania Racing, Lotus Renault GP, Williams F1 Team), the Brazilian driver is preparing to make his return to endurance racing, a discipline he first experienced  in 2009 with Oreca (podiums in LM P1 in Barcelona and Portimão).

He has already competed in the Le Mans 24 Hours, but the nephew of the late Ayrton Senna will this time drive in GT. He will be supported by specialists: Rob Bell and French driver Frédéric Makowiecki. On the other "Pro", the usual duo of Turner and Mücke will joined by the experienced Peter Dumbreck.

* Cars in the GTE Am adhere to the same technical regulations as GTE Pro, but the cars need to be at least one year old.

David Richards, Chairman of Aston Martin, comments: “There is a real sense of anticipation in the Aston Martin Racing team this year and a belief that it is once again our time to return to the top step of the podium at Le Mans. It would be a fitting way for Aston Martin, which has such a rich heritage in motorsport and particularly at Le Mans, to cap its centenary year.”

John Gaw managing director and team principal of Aston Martin Racing : “Overall, around 30 per cent of all components on the 2013-specification Pro cars are new, which makes for a significant improvement. We looked at specific areas where we could take weight out of the car and redistribute it to a better location. We have also revised the suspension, which has not only improved the handling but, when combined with the new fly-by wire throttle allowed under this year’s regulations, makes the car easier to drive. Our aim is to win at Le Mans and in the WEC and we are particularly pleased to welcome such a professional driver line-up to Aston Martin Racing for this centenary year.” 

Aston Martin V8 Vantage n°97 (GTE Pro) : Darren Turner, Stefan Mücke, Peter Dumbreck
Aston Martin V8 Vantage n°99 (GTE Pro) : Bruno Senna, Frédéric Makowiecki, Rob Bell
Aston Martin V8 Vantage n°95 (GTE Am) : Allan Simonsen, Christoffer Nygaard, Kristian Poulsen
Aston Martin V8 Vantage n°96 (GTE Am): Roald Goethe, Stuart Hall, Jamie Campbell-Walter

Julien HERGAULT, Source Aston Martin Racing press information

Photo : GAYDON (UK),  ASTON MARTIN RACING LAUNCH 2013 SEASON, TUESDAY 5th FEBRUARY.